Safety device for coin-operated machines



y 13, 1954 c. GABRIELSEN SAFETY DEVICE FOR COIN-OPERATED MACHINES Filed Feb 21, 1951 INVEN TOR.

N m w 6 N W ATTORNEY Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED TENT OFFICE SAFETY DEVICE FOR COIN-OPERATED MACHINES Application February 21, 1951, Serial No. 212,022

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to a safety device for vending machines and more particularly to a device for circumventing a manner of defrauding vending machines against which no protection exists by the customary slug ejectors and other safety devices for use in protecting against spurious coins.

Vending machines are frequently located in unattended places and dishonest persons are con stantly attempting to obtain merchandise without depositing the appropriate coins for each purchase. Slug ejectors known to the art offer protection against spurious coins. These are well known to the art and comprise arrangements which weight and size coins as well as test the metal of coins by the use of eddy currents. The passage of the coin through a magnetic field will generate eddy currents which react with the magnetic field to slow the travel of the coin so that if a spurious coin made of an inferior conductor, for example, is employed, it will be rejected instead of going to the coin register.

Dishonest persons have discovered that by attaching a thread or a fine wire to a good coin, as for example a quarter, it is possible to defraud vending machines. The dishonest persons attach the thread or wire to a coin by means of a piece of adhesive or by drilling a fine hole adjacent the top of the coin. Sufficient slack is then given the thread so that the coin will pass through the slug ejector without difiiculty. It is then lowered to the coin register, which serves to place the vending machine in an operating condition. Most coin registers have devices for accepting the money only after the merchandise is delivered. The purpose of this construction is to enable a coin return mechanism to be operated in event merchandise is not delivered. The dishonest persons hold the top of the thread at the coin slot outside the machine, having taken all the slack after the coin rests upon the money shelf or other supporting means in the coin register. The machine is then operated and since the coin is supported by the thread or wire it will not drop into the coin box. In this manner a single coin can be used to empty 2. machine of merchandise. After this, the coin return lever is operated and the coin returned to the thief by giving the thread slack so it will fall into the coin return opening accessible from the outside of the vending machine. The thread is then pulled through and no evidence is left of the dishonest practice. The owner of the machine finds it empty of merhandise with no money in the coin box. The machine has not been opened or otherwise tampered with.

One object of my invention is to provide a stop member, operated by the coin, positioned in the passageway from the coin slot to the slug ejector or from the slug ejector to the coin register to block the passageway adjacent the stop member so that a string or wire attached to a coin will be caught.

Another object of my invention is to provide a stop member in a coin passageway which will prevent the passage of a coin with a string or wire attached thereto.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a slug ejector and coin register with a stop member of my invention fitted to one of the passageways between the slug ejector and the coin register.

Figure 2 is a sectional view drawn on an enlarged scale taken along the line 22 of Figure 1 showing the coin with'a thread attached thereto about to engage the stop member.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the stop member holding the coin from traveling to the coin register by means of the thread attached thereto.

Figure 4 is an elevation taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation showing a stop member in accordance with my invention positioned in the passageway between the coin slot of the machine and the slug ejector.

In general, my invention contemplates providing a coin passageway with a pivoted member having an upper and lower lug. The lower lug normally blocks the passageway and is so positioned that it will pivot upon being struck by a falling coin to clear the passageway so that the coin may fall therethrough. The pivoting of the stop member, however, to allow the passage of the coin brings the upper lug into the passageway through appropriate openings so as to engage a thread or wire which might be attached to the coin, preventing the coin from falling any further. If the thread or wire is pulled, it will break due to the fact that the string has been jammed by the upper lug'through an opening in the side of the passageway.

More particularly referring now to the drawings, a slug ejector, indicated generally by the reference numeral ID, may be of any suitable construction known to the art. The slug ejector is adapted to reject spurious coins through the chute l2. The coins are deposited in a slot accessible on the exterior of the vending machine and pass through a coin entrance passageway M to the slug ejector Ill. The slug ejector is adapted to separate the coins into dimes, nickels and quarters. Nickels are adapted to pass through the passageway (6 to a coin register indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral l8. Dimes are adapted to pass through the passageway 8 to the coin register and quarters are adapted to pass through the passageway 20 to the coin register. The coin register may be of any suitable construction and is adapted to position the coins until an appropriate number of coins are in place, after which the vending machine is adapted to operate either automatically or upon the pressing of a push button or the operation of a member, as is well known to the art.

In Figure 1 the coin register 18 is provided with a money shelf 22 upon which the coins are adapted to rest. The money shelf is hinged about pivot pins 24 and 26 and is operated when the merchandise is delivered in a manner well known to the art.

For purposes of simplicity, my safety device is shown only in the quarter coin chute 26. The coin chute comprises a pair of spaced plates 36 and 32 adapted to guide the coin, which in the case of the quarter chute is a quarter, on its way to the coin register. A bracket 34 is carried by one of the plates 30 intermediate openings 36 and 33 formed in the chute wall 30. The upper opening 36 is elongated and extends along the major portion of the coin chute. The lower opening 38 may be smaller. The rear plate 32 of the coin chute is provided with corresponding openings 37 and 39. A stop member 48 is pivotally supported upon the bracket 34 by means of a pin 42. The upper end of the stop member 40 is formed with a lug 44. The lower portion of the stop member 48 is provided with a lug 46. The stop member 40 is so shaped that it will tend to take the position shown in Figure 2, that is, it will normally tend to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 due to the positioning of the pivot 42 and the weight and shape of the parts. It will be noted that the upper lug 44 is wider and heavier. The center of gravity of the upper member is positioned to the left of the axis of the pivot 42 as viewed in Figure 2. In this manner the stop member 40 will rotate in a counterclockwise direction to bring the lower lug 46 through the opening 38 in the front plate 30 and through the opening 39 in the rear plate 32, blocking thecoin chute. When a coin, such as a quarter 50, falls through the coin chute 20 it will pass the upper lug 44, which is retracted due to the manner in which the stop member 40 is formed and suspended, and then strike the lower lug member 46. The weight of the coin momentarily increases the force exercised by the lower lug and overbalances the upper lug 44 causing it to rotate in a clockwise direction moving the lower lug 46 clear of the coin chute. This pivoting of the stop member 40 in a clockwise direction brings the upper lug 44 across the coin chute above the coin, the lug moving through the opening 36 and into the opening 3'! formed in the rear plate 32. The distance between the upper lug 44' and the lower lug 46 is greater than the diameter of the coin for which the coin chute is designed. As soon as the coin falls free of the lower lug 46 the stop direction to bring the parts back to their original position. Stated simply, the stop member 44 is biased in any suitable manner so that the lower lug normally extends across the passageway and the upper lug is clear of the passageway. This bias is of such a small magnitude that the weight of a coin will overcome the bias and pivot the stop member against the bias action to bring the upper lug through the passageway and move the lower lug clear of the passageway.

If the coin 50 is provided with a thread 52 by a dishonest person for the purpose of attempting to defraud the vending machine to which my safety device is attached, the stop member 40 will operate as in the case of a free-falling coin. When the upper lug 44, however, moves through the coin chute under the influence of the weight of the coin upon the lower lug 46 it will push the thread through the opening 31 to a position shown in Figure 3, thus preventing the coin to which the thread is attached from falling any further into the coin register l8. In this manner the coin with the thread attached thereto is prevented from entering the coin register in a position to permit the vending machine to operate. If the dishonest person attempts to retrieve the coin by pulling the thread, the thread will break and the coin may remain suspended in the coin chute or fall into the coin register, depending on where the thread breaks. In practice, I provide a fairly close tolerance between the opening 31 in the rear plate 32 and the upper lug 44 to insure that the coin will remain suspended clear of the coin register, it being understood that the drawings are diagrammatic only.

If a machine is to be operated for use with a single coin, as for example a quarter machine only, the safety device may be positioned above the slug ejector In in the coin chute I4 leading to the slug ejector, as shown in Figure 5.

Normally, the type of fraud outlined herein is employed with heavier coins, such as quarters. It can be employed, however, with lighter coins, such as dimes. In most cases where dimes are used, however, it requires the successive dropping of more than one dime, rendering the accomplishment of the fraud by means of a thread attached to a coin more diflicult. Accordingly, my invention finds its greatest utility in the quarter coin chute and I prefer to position my safety device in the chute adapted to carry quarters between the slug ejector and the coin register.

It is believed that the operation of my safety device will be apparent from the foregoing description. Normally, the stop member operates each time to permit the passage of a coin without difficulty. Each time a coin strikes the lower lug 46 the stop member pivots to bring the upper lug across the coin chute. This pivoting does not interfere with the passage of the coin since it sweeps through the coin chute above the coin after it has passed. After the coin clears the lower lug the stop member assumes its original position due to the bias upon the stop member and brings the upper lug clear of the passageway and the lower lug into passage-blocking position ready to pivot upon the dropping of another coin. If, however, a thread or fine wire is attached to a coin by a dishonest person in an attempt to defraud the machine, the upper lug 44 in pivoting through the coin chute will snare the thread above the coin and prevent the coin from dropping into the coin register. If it is attempted to retrieve the coin the thread usually will break, leaving the coin in the chute in the position shown in Figure 3 with the lug 44 extending across the coin chute blocking it. This precludes the making of a second attempt since additional coins will simply rest upon the lug 44 in the coin chute. The proprietor of the machine can then open the machine and remove the thread to permit the coin to drop into the coin register and clear the coin chute for future operation.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided a stop member positioned in the passageway to the coin register adapted to prevent the passage of a coin with a thread or wire attached thereto to the coin register thus preventing the defrauding of the machine in this manner.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claim. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claim without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A safety device for coin controlled vending machines including in combination a coin register adapted to position coins, a coin chute for guiding coins to the register comprising a pair of side walls spaced from each other by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of a coin, end walls for joining said side walls to form the coin chute, a pivoted member, means for pivotally mounting the member on the exterior of one side wall of the coin chute, a lower lug carried by the pivoted member below said mounting means, an upper lug carried by the pivoted member above said mounting means, said coin chute extending below said lower lug, said side walls being formed with openings adjacent the respective upper and lower lugs, said upper lug being flared to extend across a major portion of the width of the coin chute, the openings adjacent the upper lug being elongated transversely of the coin chute and adapted to fit the upper lug with a close tolerance to jam a filament attached to a coin in one of the openings of a wall of the coin chute and around the upper lug, means for biasing the pivoted member normally to position the lower lug through the lower coin chute opening across the coin chute to be contacted by a coin passing downwardly through the coin chute under the influence of gravity, the upper lug being longer than the lower lug and of such length as to extend through and beyond the upper openings when the pivoted member is pivoted by a coin passing downwardly through the coin chute, the construction being such that when the lower lug is moved outwardly of the coin chute by a coin, the pivoted member will carry the upper lug across the coin chute through the upper openings to engage a filament attached to a coin and jam it in the upper opening of one of the side walls to prevent the coin from falling to the coin register and ensuring the rupture of the filament when it is attempted to withdraw the coin from the coin chute, said lower lug being of such length that it will remain in the coin chute in contact with a side face of the coin while the upper lug is in a position extending through the upper openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 768,271 Diebel Aug. 23, 1904 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,785 Great Britain of 1902 

